Prediction: Colorado State has as much talent if not more than Colorado in this game, and the same was true last year. But an experienced Grayson is an advantage for the Rams, especially facing a defense that has lost two starters to knee injuries. Colorado State 27, Colorado 21.

FORT COLLINS — Maybe you remember Connor Wood.

He was the starting quarterback for the University of Colorado in 2013, or he was for awhile. His was a season that didn't exactly go as planned, leading the Buffs to turn to true freshman Sefo Liufau to start Week 6. While Wood may have become somewhat of a footnote, he shined in the opener against Colorado State, throwing for 400 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-27 win over the Rams.

While it was a rare performance for Wood, it was a common occurrence in 2013 for the Rams' defense, particularly the secondary.

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So yes, the Rams remember, even though they'd rather forget. The goal Friday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High (7 p.m.; FOX1) is to take strides in making all those issues of a year ago (33 touchdown passes allowed and 275.7 yards per game) become a distant memory.

"It's not so much that we look back on last year's game, we look back on last year's mistakes," senior cornerback Bernard Blake said. "We do that for every game we play. It's not just focusing on CU. We're going in with a mindset that it's a clean slate, the records are 0-0 and we want to come out 1-0. That's what we're focusing on, doing the necessary steps to achieve that."

One may wonder if the Rams returning all four starters in the secondary is a good thing. Coach Jim McElwain even suggested as much, saying while Blake, Trent Matthews, DeAndre Elliott and Kevin Pierre-Louis all are on top of the depth chart, they still have to prove it.

They are there, he suggested, because maybe the coaches feel more comfortable with them, but others are going to play. If anything, he liked the increased competition in camp in the secondary, because it wasn't always apparent to him on the field a year ago.

"I don't know. I sure hate to say it, but yeah," he said, when asked if he felt that element was lost at times.

Garrett Grayson

Linebacker Aaron Davis said it is up to the rest of the unit to supply the back end some help. To pressure Liufau, who started seven games and threw for 1,779 yards and 12 touchdowns against eight interceptions, completing 59.4 percent of his passes. To stop a run game, which the Rams had success with last year, but will go about it with new starters on the defensive line.

There's pressure on the defense, but it has to be handled correctly.

"I think definitely after last year we have something to prove. I don't think it's about trying too hard but getting out there and playing fast like we know we can," Davis said. "We do have something to improve. We obviously want to improve our pass defense, keep our run defense as it was last year if not better.

"I think we've just got to trust the guy next to you that he's going to do his job. Just do your job and that's basically all you can do."

And do it well. The offense wasn't immune to issues last year, either. Quarterback Garrett Grayson may have had a record-setting season, but he wasn't sharp in the opener. He didn't always get help, with seven dropped passes, a pair of lost fumbles and a run game that only produced 94 yards.

When Grayson looked back, he said it has a lot to do with some unexpected wrinkles Colorado threw at them and the lack of adjustments the players made. The rhythm was gone from the start, he recalled.

Now set to make his third Rocky Mountain Showdown start, Grayson feels he's better equipped to read a defense and avoid trouble. It will help him aid a young offensive line in front of him, some new receivers outside and even a new set of a running backs behind him.

Coming off a season that ended better than it began with a bowl victory, Colorado State has a stated mission of reaching new heights. To do so, they realize they have to clean up mistakes from the past.

And to do it from the start, by taking advantage of what they feel they didn't last year against an in-state rival.

"That's something that's kind of bothered us all year and something Coach Mac has reminded us of, with the hidden yardage on special teams, what we did offensively and what our defense did," Grayson said. "We all felt we left so much on the table and we want to make sure it doesn't happen again."

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